Air duct in tunnel

ABSTRACT

A rear passenger seat air ventilation system for an electric vehicle includes a rigid tunnel positioned within a passenger compartment of the electric vehicle. The rigid tunnel covers a portion of a battery assembly that extends above a floor structure of the electric vehicle such that the passenger compartment is sealed from the battery assembly. The rigid tunnel defines a forward opening and a rear opening connected by a conduit extending along at least a portion of a length of the rigid tunnel. The conduit is disposed within an interior of the rigid tunnel. A center console is positioned above at least a portion of the rigid tunnel. An air supply system interfaces with the forward opening and to deliver air to the conduit. At least one air vent receives air from the conduit and deliver the air to a rear seating area of the passenger compartment.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

The present application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/384,298, filed Sep. 7, 2016, the entire contents ofwhich are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are many problems unique to electric vehicles, oftentimes due tothe presence of large and/or numerous batteries used to power theelectric motor and other components of the vehicle. These batteries areoften bulky, and add significant weight to the vehicles. Theseconsiderations present challenges in designing a particularly efficientand practical electrical vehicle. Additionally, these batteries may beparticularly susceptible to damage during a collision. Damage to abattery may be especially dangerous by presenting a fire and/orcorrosive hazard. As such, protecting the batteries from damage remainsa difficult challenge unique to the field of electric vehicles.

Vehicle manufacturers have added a number of new structural features tovehicles to improve safety and/or performance. Many of these structuralfeatures are applicable to electric, hybrid, and non-electric vehiclesequally, while others place a greater emphasis on the vehicle motortype, such as a vehicle base plate with increased thickness forprotecting an electric car battery over a specific region of thevehicle. Structural improvements that increase either safety orperformance without a significant compromise of the other remainimportant objectives of vehicle manufacturers.

Electric vehicles are becoming an increasingly viable alternative totraditional vehicles with internal combustion engines. Electric vehiclesmay have advantages in their compactness, simplicity of design, and inbeing potentially more environmentally friendly depending on the meansby which the electricity used in the vehicle was originally generated.The prospect of using renewable energy sources to power automobiles inplace of gasoline has obvious advantages as oil reserves across theglobe become increasingly depleted.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect, a rear passenger seat air ventilation system for anelectric vehicle is provided. The ventilation system may include a rigidtunnel positioned within a passenger compartment of the electricvehicle. The rigid tunnel may be configured to cover a portion of abattery assembly that extends above a floor structure of the electricvehicle such that the passenger compartment is sealed from the batteryassembly. The rigid tunnel may define a forward opening and a rearopening connected by a conduit extending along at least a portion of alength of the rigid tunnel. The conduit may be disposed within aninterior of the rigid tunnel. The ventilation system may also include acenter console positioned above at least a portion of the rigid tunneland an air supply system configured to interface with the forwardopening and to deliver air to the conduit. The ventilation system mayfurther include at least one air vent configured to receive air from theconduit and deliver the air to a rear seating area of the passengercompartment.

In another aspect, a rear passenger seat air ventilation system for anelectric vehicle may include a rigid tunnel positioned within apassenger compartment of the electric vehicle. The rigid tunnel may beconfigured to cover a portion of a battery assembly that extends above afloor structure of the electric vehicle such that the passengercompartment is sealed from the battery assembly. The rigid tunnel mayslope downward from a forward portion to a rear portion of the rigidtunnel. A top surface of the rigid tunnel may define a forward openingand a rear opening connected by a conduit extending along at least aportion of a length of the rigid tunnel. The conduit may be disposedwithin an interior of the rigid tunnel. The ventilation system may alsoinclude a center console positioned above at least a portion of therigid tunnel and an air supply system positioned within the centerconsole and configured to interface with the forward opening and todeliver air to the conduit. The ventilation system may further includeat least one air vent configured to receive air from the conduit anddeliver the air to a rear seating area of the passenger compartment.

In another aspect, a method of delivering air to a rear passengerseating area of an electric vehicle is provided. The method may includegenerating air flow from an air supply system of the electric vehicleand directing the air flow from the air supply system into a conduitdisposed within a rigid tunnel via an upper opening defined in a topsurface of the rigid tunnel. The rigid tunnel may be positioned within apassenger compartment of the electric vehicle under at least a portionof a center console. The rigid tunnel may be configured to cover aportion of a battery assembly that extends above a floor structure ofthe electric vehicle such that the passenger compartment is sealed fromthe battery assembly. The conduit may be disposed within an interior ofthe rigid tunnel. The method may also include delivering the air flow toa rear passenger seating area of the electric vehicle by directing theair flow from the conduit to at least one air vent via a lower openingdefined in the top surface of the rigid tunnel.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A further understanding of the nature and advantages of variousembodiments may be realized by reference to the following figures. Inthe appended figures, similar components or features may have the samereference label. Further, various components of the same type may bedistinguished by following the reference label by a dash and a secondlabel that distinguishes among the similar components. If only the firstreference label is used in the specification, the description isapplicable to any one of the similar components having the same firstreference label irrespective of the second reference label.

FIG. 1 depicts an electric vehicle according to embodiments.

FIG. 2 depicts a top view of a power system of an electric vehicleaccording to embodiments.

FIG. 3 depicts an isometric view of a tunnel of an electric vehicleaccording to embodiments.

FIG. 4 depicts a cross-section view the tunnel of FIG. 3 according toembodiments.

FIG. 5 depicts a front cross-section view of the tunnel of FIG. 3according to embodiments.

FIG. 6 depicts a side cross-section view of the firewall of FIG. 2 anelectric vehicle according to embodiments.

FIG. 7 depicts a storage area of an electric vehicle according toembodiments.

FIG. 8 depicts an air ventilation system of an electric vehicleaccording to embodiments.

FIG. 9 depicts a tunnel of an electric vehicle according to embodiments.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart depicting a method for delivering air to a rearpassenger seating area in an electric vehicle according to embodiments.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The subject matter of embodiments of the present invention is describedhere with specificity to meet statutory requirements, but thisdescription is not necessarily intended to limit the scope of theclaims. The claimed subject matter may be embodied in other ways, mayinclude different elements or steps, and may be used in conjunction withother existing or future technologies. This description should not beinterpreted as implying any particular order or arrangement among orbetween various steps or elements except when the order of individualsteps or arrangement of elements is explicitly described.

The systems and methods described herein relate generally toimprovements for electric vehicles. Due to the size and weightconsiderations of the batteries required to power such vehicles, as wellas the need to make electric vehicles as safe as possible, eachcomponent within the electric vehicles must be designed with particularcharacteristics in mind. Specifically, considerations related to theweight and structural integrity of each component must be weighed toensure that the electric vehicles are both efficient and safe tooperate. For example, the body of the vehicle must be stiff, efficient,and lightweight. A lightweight body helps counteract the additionalweight of the batteries, which may be in the form of several largebatteries, or numerous (sometimes thousands) of smaller batteries wiredtogether. The stiff body helps make the vehicle more stable duringcornering and also helps limit damage to the body and batteries during acollision. Protection of the batteries during a collision is particularimportant, as the large number of batteries pose a significant firehazard and may also expose passengers and others to highly corrosivematerial. Due to this high safety risk, it is imperative that the bodystructure be designed to withstand high force collisions from anydirection.

Turning now to FIG. 1, one embodiment of an electric vehicle 100 isshown. While shown here as an electric automobile, electric vehicle 100may be any motorized vehicle that is powered by electricity. Forexample, electric vehicle 100 may include vehicles such as cars, buses,trains, trucks, trams, watercraft, aircraft, and/or any other type oftransportation mechanism.

Here, much of the main body 102 of the electric vehicle 100, especiallythose components designed to form the skeleton of the vehicle and thosecomponents used for collision protection, are made of aluminum or alloyscontaining aluminum, although it will be appreciated that othermaterials may be considered. Aluminum alloys provide strong, yetlightweight components that help shed weight to compensate for the highweight of the batteries necessary to power the electric vehicle. Forelectric vehicles, an increased emphasis is placed on protection of thebatteries as damage to battery cells can cause explosion and fireswithin the vehicle. Such problems are compounded due to the large amountof space batteries must occupy within electric vehicles in order tomaintain practical driving ranges. Therefore, vehicle alterations thatprovide increased protection along edges and corners of the vehiclebattery are advantageous. Such alterations may include considerationsrelated to, but not limited to providing: (1) increased rigidity of thevehicle, (2) increased absorption of energy from a collision, and (3)increased efficiency of transfer of energy/force stemming from an impactto the vehicle's body to lessen the potential impact applied to thevehicle battery and to passengers in the vehicle.

Battery elements 104 (shown in FIG. 2) are positioned underneath a floorstructure 106 of the electric vehicle 100. Such positioning providesseveral benefits. First, the battery elements are isolated from thepassenger compartment, largely by an aluminum (or other metallicmaterial) floor structure 106, which helps increase passenger safety.The placement of the battery elements 104 underneath the vehicle 100also allows the battery elements 104 to be connected to electricalsystems of the vehicle 100 from underneath the floor structure 106. Thisenables the battery elements 104 to be changed out from the exterior ofthe vehicle 100. For example, the vehicle 100 may be raised up and thebattery elements 104 may be decoupled from the underside of the vehicle100. As just one example, a number of bolts or other fasteners may beremoved and the battery elements 104 may be lowered from the vehicle100. The battery elements 104 may be disconnected and new batteryelements 104 may be connected and fastened to the underside of thevehicle 100. This allows old batteries to be replaced easily, and alsoenables a quick swap of depleted battery elements 104 for chargedbattery elements 104, serving as a method of rapidly charging thevehicle 100 for longer trips. The placement of the battery elements 104also places much of the weight of the vehicle 100 near the ground, thuslowering the center of gravity of the vehicle 100, which allows thevehicle 100 to corner better and reduces the odds of a rollover.

Unlike automobiles that utilize internal combustion engines and includedrivetrains that extend along a length of the vehicle, electric vehicle100 is driven by one or more electric motors positioned near the wheelaxles. As a result, there is no need for a longitudinal drive train. Tohelp isolate a passenger compartment 108 from the battery elements 104while providing access for connections of the battery elements 104 to beconnected to electric systems within the passenger compartment 108 andto the one or more electric motors, the passenger compartment may beprovided with a rigid tunnel 110 protruding upward from a floorstructure 106 of the passenger compartment 108. However, unlike inconventional gas-powered vehicles where a tunnel may be provided toprovide clearance for a drivetrain, rigid tunnel 110 is included toprovide clearance for a portion of the battery elements 104 used tosupply power to the electric vehicle 100. The rigid tunnel 110 may notonly provide a housing for a portion of the battery assembly, but mayserve a number of other functions. As just one example, the rigid tunnel110 may help absorb and transfer force away from passengers in the eventof a collision. In such embodiments, the rigid tunnel 110 may be formedof carbon fiber or another composite material that is extremely strongand lightweight. In other embodiments, the rigid tunnel 110 may serve aspart of an air ventilation system, with hot or cold air being vented tothe passenger compartment 108 through a portion of the rigid tunnel 110.

FIG. 2 depicts one embodiment of a power system of the electric vehicle100. The power system may include a firewall 112 positioned between amotor compartment and a passenger compartment 108 of the electricvehicle 100. The firewall 112 may be formed of several components. Forexample, the firewall 112 may include a front cross beam 114 having aleft portion 116 and a right portion 118 separated by a medial portion148 extending there between. The left portion 116 and the right portion118 may each be bent rearward relative to the medial portion 148, thusdefining a foot well or other front portion of the passenger compartment108. For example, the left portion 116 and the right portion 118 may bebent backward at an angle of between about 10 and 40 degrees, moretypically between about 25 and 35 degrees, relative to the medialportion 148. The front cross beam 114 may have a generally rectangularcross-section that defines an open interior. In some embodiments, theopen interior may include a number of ribs that extend along a length ofthe front cross beam 114, as better shown in FIG. 6. The firewall 112may also include an angled portion 122 of the floor structure 106. Ahorizontal flat portion 150 of floor structure 106 may be coupled withand/or extend rearward from the firewall 112. The flat portion 150 maydefine an aperture 152 between the firewall 112 and one or more centralsupport beams 132 of the floor structure 106. The angled portion 122 maybe coupled with a bottom end of the front cross beam 114. Such couplingis further described in relation to FIG. 6.

In some embodiments, a left longitudinal support beam 124 may be coupledwith the left portion 116 and/or the angled portion 122 of the floorstructure 106. A right longitudinal support beam 126 may be coupled withthe right portion 118 and/or the angled portion 122 of the floorstructure 106. A right front crash beam 128 may be coupled with themedial portion 148 and/or the right portion 118 and may be generallyorthogonal to a right end of the medial portion 148. A left front crashbeam 130 may be coupled with the medial portion 148 and/or the leftportion 116 and may be generally orthogonal to a left end of the medialportion 148. In some embodiments, the crash beams 128 and 130 may becoupled directly with the front cross beam 114, while in otherembodiments the crash beams 128 and 130 may be coupled with the frontcross beam 114 via crash elements 154.

In some embodiments, the firewall 112 may be coupled with the rigidtunnel 110, which may extend rearward from the firewall 112 to one ormore central cross beams 132 as shown in FIG. 3. For example, a frontedge of the rigid tunnel 110 may be coupled with a medial portion of theangled portion 122 and a medial portion of the front cross beam 114. Thefront edge of the rigid tunnel 110 may be open, such that access to themotor compartment may be provided underneath the rigid tunnel 110. Arear portion of the rigid tunnel 110 may be coupled with the centralcross beams 132. For example, a forward most of the central cross beams132 may be coupled with an underside of the rigid tunnel 110, such aswithin a notch in the rigid tunnel 110 that is configured to receive theforward most central cross beam 132. The rearmost central cross beam 132may be configured to couple with and/or near a rear edge of the rigidtunnel 110. The central cross beams 132 may extend laterally across awidth of the passenger compartment 108. In some embodiments, a topsurface of one or more of the central cross beams 132 may be configuredto be used as mounting points for the front seats. For example, the topsurface of one of more of the central cross beams 132 may defineapertures that are configured to receive bolts and/or other fasteningmechanisms for coupling seat rails 164 and/or other seat mounts to thecentral cross member(s) 132. In some embodiments, seat brackets may bemounted to one or more of the central cross beams 132. These bracketsmay then receive seat rails 164 with which seats may be mounted.Oftentimes, each seat will be mounted to two seat rails 164, although itwill be appreciated that other numbers of rails 164 may be used.

In some embodiments, the central cross beams 132 (as well as othersupport members secured to the floor structure 106, as well as the floorstructure 106 itself) may be configured to have the battery assembly 104mounted thereon. For example, a lower surface of one or more of thecentral cross beams 132 may be configured to receive one or moreremovable fastening mechanisms, such as bolts, that are used to securethe battery assembly 104 to an underside of the floor structure 106. Asjust one example, the central cross beams 132 may be positioned atop thefloor structure 106, with the battery element 104 positioned against anunderside of the floor structure 106 (possibly with one or moreintervening layers and/or components between the battery element 104 andthe floor structure. One or more bolts may extend from an underside ofthe battery element 104, through the floor structure 106, and into aninterior of one or more of the central cross beams 132. The bolts orother fasteners may be positioned through apertures in the batteryelement 104 and/or a flange of the battery element 104. The centralcross beams 132 provide strong mounting locations for the batteryelement 104, allowing the battery element 104 to be larger and providethe vehicle 100 with a longer range.

The central cross beams 132 may also serve to strengthen the sides ofthe passenger compartment 108 and to protect the passenger compartment108 in the event of an impact. The front cross beam 114 (and rest offirewall 112) may be configured to transfer force from a frontalcollision from the front crash beams 128 and 130 to the one or morecentral cross beams 132 via the rigid tunnel 110. Additionally oralternatively, the front cross beam 114 (and rest of firewall 112) mayalso be configured to transfer force from a frontal collision from thefront crash beams 128 and 130 to the left longitudinal support beam 124and the right longitudinal support beam 126.

Battery assembly 104 may be configured to mount with an underside of thefloor structure 106. The battery assembly 104 may include at least onebattery 162, but often includes a large number of batteries ranging fromdozens to thousands, depending on the size of each of the batteries. Insome embodiments, the battery 162 includes a number of battery unitsarranged in two tiers as best seen in FIG. 4. For example, a first tiermay extend underneath all or part of the passenger compartment 108,while a second tier may be stacked upon a portion of the first tier suchthat it extends upward at a position rearward of the passengercompartment 108. In some embodiments, the upper tier of the batteryassembly 104 may be positioned rearward of a rear cross beam 204. Rearcross beam 204 may extend across a width of the passenger compartment108. The rear cross beam 204 may be configured to receive one or morefasteners configured to secure the battery assembly 104 to the undersideof the vehicle 100. In some embodiments, the rear cross beam 204 mayalso be used to mount one or more rear seats within the passengercompartment 108.

The battery assembly 104 may also include a battery connector housing156. The battery connector housing 156 may be configured to house atleast one battery connector therein. The battery connector housing 156may define at least one electric connector configured to couple with atleast one electric system of the electric vehicle 100, such as theelectric motor. The battery connector housing 156 may be configured tobe inserted within the aperture 152 of the floor structure 106 such thatat least a portion of the battery connector housing 156 extends above atop surface of the floor structure 106. This allows the electricconnectors to be accessible through a front opening of the rigid tunnel110, enabling the battery element 104 to be electrically coupled to boththe motor and the other electrical systems of the vehicle 100. Batteryassembly 104 may be secured to the underside of the floor structure 106using fasteners accessible from the underside of the floor structure 106such that the battery assembly 104 is removable from the electricvehicle 100 without accessing the passenger compartment 108. Thesefasteners may be spaced apart along the underside of the vehicle 100 atthe floor structure 106, central cross beams 132, a subfloor cross beam144, and/or other structural elements, with a spacing and number offasteners being determined by a weight, size, and/or shape of thebattery element 104.

Rigid tunnel 110 may be coupled with the firewall 112, such as at a rearsurface of the firewall 112. The rigid tunnel 110 may also be coupledwith the floor structure 106 and the central support beams 132. Therigid tunnel 110 may be configured to cover the portion of the batteryconnector housing 156 that extends above the floor structure 106 suchthat the passenger compartment 108 is sealed from the battery connectorhousing 156. In some embodiments, the rigid tunnel 110 has a crosssectional profile that generally matches a profile of the batteryconnector housing 156 as shown in FIG. 5. As seen here, the rigid tunnel110 may include extra space above the battery connector housing 156. Insuch embodiments, the extra space may be used to for additionalfeatures. For example, in one embodiment, the extra space may be used toprovide a conduit for the air conditioner and heating system. In someembodiments, the floor structure 106 includes a sealing element (notshown) protruding upward and contacting an inner surface of the rigidtunnel 110 between the battery connector housing 156 and the centralsupport beams 132. The sealing element may have a shape corresponding tothe rigid tunnel 110. This sealing element may further insulate thepassenger compartment 108 from the battery element 104, especially asthe profile of the rigid tunnel 110 decreases in size at rearwardportions.

In some embodiments, the rigid tunnel 110 may be designed to transferfrontal impact away from occupants of the vehicle 100. For example, therigid tunnel 110 may be coupled with a rear surface of the front crossbeam 114 and a top surface of the angled medial section 142 of the floorstructure 106. Frontal impact forces received by the firewall 112 may betransferred through the rigid tunnel 110, which may transmit the forcesto one or more central crossbeams 132 positioned rearward of thefirewall 112. Such diversion of forces may ensure that a maximum amountof force is directed around occupants of the vehicle 100. To provide thestrength necessary to transfer the impact forces while limiting theamount of weight added, the rigid tunnel 110 may be formed from carbonfiber.

Because the battery element 104 is positioned under the rigid tunnel110, to ensure maximum safety of the passenger compartment 108, it maybe desirable to include an acid resistant and/or flame resistantmaterial to the rigid tunnel 110 to increase protection of the passengercompartment 108 in the event of battery damage, which may result inexposure to battery acid or flames. For example, the rigid tunnel 110may be formed from materials with strong resistance to flame and/oracid. In other embodiments, one or more surfaces of the rigid tunnel 110may be coated with an acid resistant and/or flame resistant material. Inparticular, a lower surface of the rigid tunnel 110 may be coated toprotect against direct exposure to a damaged battery. In otherembodiments, a separate acid and/or fire resistant material may becoupled with an underside of the rigid tunnel 110. Additionally, due tothe rigid tunnel 110 being configured to cover a hole in the floorstructure 106 that enables the connector 158 to extend upward above thefloor structure 106, the rigid tunnel 110 may include thermal insulationand/or acoustic insulation, as such insulation may not be included onthe battery element 104. This allows road noise, as well as thermaleffects from the environment and/or the battery element 104 to bereduced within the passenger compartment 108.

FIG. 6 shows a cross-sectional view of the firewall 112 of FIG. 2. Asshown here, firewall 112 is formed from the junction of the front crossbeam 114 and the angled portion 122 of the floor structure 106. As notedabove, the firewall 112 defines a front portion of the passengercompartment 108, such as a passenger and/or driver foot well andseparates the passenger compartment 108 from a motor compartment of theelectric vehicle 100. As shown here, the firewall 112 includes frontcross beam 114 having left portion 116, right portion, 118, and medialportion 148 extending between the left portion 116 and right portion118, which may be bent rearward relative to the medial portion 148.Front cross beam 114 may define an interior including a number of ribs134 that extend along a length of the front cross beam 114. For example,at least two ribs 134 may extend from a front wall of the front crossbeam 114 to a rear wall of the front cross beam 114. The front crossbeam 114 may have a generally rectangular cross-section. The ribs 134may be positioned at regular intervals as shown here, or may be spacedat irregular intervals. Here, two ribs 134 are spaced equidistant fromone another and the top and bottom of the front cross beam 114, formingthree rectangular chambers within the front cross beam 114. The use ofribs 134 helps stiffen and strengthen the front cross beam 114 withoutadding a substantial amount of material or weight, thereby allowing thefront cross beam 114 to handle larger impact forces in the event of acollision.

The firewall 112 may also include floor structure 106. Specifically,floor structure 106 may include an angled portion 122 that angles upwardfrom a base 136 of the floor structure 106 to form a portion of a frontfoot well of the passenger compartment 108. This angled portion 122 maybe coupled with a bottom end of the front cross beam 114. For example,the angled portion 122 may include at least one upper flange or mountinginterface 138 that is generally aligned with a vertical axis of thefirewall 112. The upper flanges 138 may be coupled with a bottom end ofthe front cross beam 114. For example, a front upper flange 138 may besecured against a front surface of the front cross beam 114 and a rearupper flange 138 may be secured against a rear surface of the frontcross beam 114 such that the front cross beam 114 is secured between thefront upper flange 138 and the rear upper flange 138. For example, thefront cross beam 114 may be inserted between the upper flanges 138 andsecured using one or more fasteners. The angled portion 122 may alsoinclude at least one lower flange or mounting interface 140 that isseparated from the upper flange 138 by an angled medial section 142 thatslopes downward from front to back. The lower mounting interface 140 mayinclude a front lower flange 140 configured to be fastened against afront surface of a subfloor cross beam 144 and a rear lower flange 140configured to be fastened against a top surface of the subfloor crossbeam 144.

In some embodiments, the angled medial section 142 of the floorstructure 106 includes one or more embossed features formed in a topsurface and/or a bottom surface of the angled medial section 142. Theangled medial section 142 may also include a number of ribs (not shown)extending from a top surface to a bottom surface of the angled medialsection 142. The ribs and/or embossed features may serve to furtherstrengthen the floor structure 106 without adding substantial materialand weight. The lower flange 140 may be generally aligned with ahorizontal axis of the firewall 112. The firewall 112 may also includesubfloor cross beam 144 positioned underneath the floor structure 106and coupled with the lower flange 140 such that the subfloor cross beam144 is spaced laterally rearward of the medial portion 184 of the frontcross beam 114. The subfloor cross beam 144 may define an interior thatincludes at least one rib 146 extending along a length of the subfloorcross beam 144. In some embodiments, rib 146 may extend between a frontcorner and a rear corner of the subfloor cross beam 144. For example,the rib 146 may extend from a front lower corner of the subfloor crossbeam 144 to a rear upper corner of the subfloor cross beam 144. This rib146 helps stiffen and strengthen the subfloor cross beam 144 withoutadding a substantial amount of material or weight. In some embodiments,the subfloor cross beam 144 may receive one or more fasteners forcoupling the battery assembly 104 to the underside of the vehicle 100.

Oftentimes, the firewall 112 may be formed entirely from aluminum. Forexample, the front cross beam 114 and the subfloor cross beam 144 may beformed of extruded aluminum, which makes it easier to form any ribsintegral with the beams to ensure maximum strength. In some embodiments,the angled portion 122 of the floor structure 106 (and the floorstructure 106 itself) may be formed from cast or pressed aluminum. Suchformation is more suited for producing the embossed features withinsurfaces of the floor structure 106 that increase the strength and/orstiffen the floor structure 106.

In some embodiments, a front surface of the firewall 112 is coupled withone or more front crash beams 128 and 130. In some embodiments, thefirewall 112 may be directly coupled to the front crash beams 128 and130, while in other embodiments, one or more components, such as a crashelement 154, may be coupled between the front crash beams 128 and 130and the firewall 112. In the event of a frontal impact, the firewall 112may be configured to receive and absorb a force transferred from thefront crash beams 128 and 148. The firewall 112 may also be configuredto direct force away from passengers, such as by directing the forcearound the front seats to structural components designed to handleimpact forces. For example, as described with regard to FIG. 2, ends ofthe firewall 112 may be coupled with longitudinal support beams 124 and126 that extend along sides of the vehicle 100. Impact forces may betransferred to these longitudinal support beams 124 and 126 to directthe main forces around the passenger compartment 108 to protectoccupants in the event of a collision. The firewall 112 may also becoupled with the rigid tunnel 110. For example, the rigid tunnel 110 maybe coupled with a rear surface of the front cross beam 114 and a topsurface of the angled medial section 142 of the floor structure 106.Frontal impact forces received by the firewall 112 may be transferredthrough the rigid tunnel 110, which may transmit the forces to one ormore central crossbeams (not shown) positioned rearward of the firewall112. Such diversion of forces may ensure that a maximum amount of forceis directed around occupants of the vehicle 100.

FIG. 7 depicts a storage area of the electric vehicle 100. The storagearea may include the rigid tunnel 110 that positioned within passengercompartment 108. Rigid tunnel 110 may be coupled with a firewall 112that is configured to separate the passenger compartment 108 from amotor compartment of the vehicle 100. For example, the rigid tunnel 110may be coupled at a rear surface of the firewall 112. The rigid tunnel110 may also be coupled with the floor structure 106 and one or morecentral support beams (not shown). The rigid tunnel 110 may beconfigured to cover a portion of the battery assembly 104 that extendsabove the floor structure 106 such that the passenger compartment 108 issealed from the battery assembly 104. In some embodiments, the rigidtunnel 110 has a cross sectional profile that generally matches aprofile of the portion of the battery assembly 104 extending beyond thefloor structure 106. In some embodiments, a front section of the rigidtunnel 110 projects higher into the passenger compartment 108 than arear section of the rigid tunnel 110.

The storage area may also include a center console 166 positioned withinthe passenger compartment 108. The center console may include a frontportion 176 that is coupled with the front section of the rigid tunnel110 at a position near the firewall 112. Center console 166 may alsoinclude a rear portion 178 that is coupled with the rear section of therigid tunnel 110. A medial portion 184 may extend between the frontportion 176 and the rear portion 178. The medial portion 184 may berelatively thin, such that the medial portion 184 is suspended adistance above the rigid tunnel 110. The thickness of the medial portion184 is less than a thickness of each of the front portion 176 and therear portion 178.

In some embodiments, a top surface of the medial portion 184 defines astorage tray 188 and at least two cup holders 190. In some cases, athickness of the medial portion 184 may be slightly thicker than a depthof the cup holders 190. A space 194 between the top surface of the rigidtunnel 110 and a bottom surface of the medial portion 184 may define thestorage area. In some embodiments, the space 194 may be positioned underthe cup holders 190.

In some embodiments, space 194 may be open both from the passenger sideand the driver side. One or more drawers 198 may be provided that openinto the space 194. For example, a driver side drawer 198 and apassenger side drawer 198 may be positioned beneath the front portion176 of the center console and function as additional glove boxes orother storage areas. In some embodiments, the one or more drawers 198may be lockable. In some embodiments, the drawers 198 and/or rest ofspace 194 may include one or more lights. In some embodiments, the space194 may include charging or data ports, such as universal serial port(USB) ports, AC adapters, auxiliary connections, and the like.

In some embodiments, space 194 may be a closed area contained betweenwalls and/or doors extending between the medial portion 184, frontportion 176, rear portion 178, and rigid tunnel 110. Space 194 may beaccessible from one side only, or from both a driver side and apassenger side. In some embodiments, the storage area includes at leastone door for controlling access to the space. The door may be positionedon the passenger side and/or the driver side of the storage area. Inother embodiments, access to the space 194 may be gained from a topsurface of the center console 166. For example, the top surface of thecenter console 166 may define an aperture configured to provide accessto the space 194. The aperture may be covered by a door or otherremovable cover. In some embodiments, the door is lockable to provide asecure area to protect valuables and keep them out of sight when thevehicle 100 is unattended. In some embodiments, rather than having oneor more doors or closed walls, the space 194 may define an open shelfthat provides quick access to items such as maps, sunglasses, loosechange, and the like.

FIG. 8 depicts an isometric view of a rear passenger seating area airventilation system of the electric vehicle 100. The ventilation systemmay be formed from the rigid tunnel 110 positioned within the passengercompartment 108 of the electric vehicle 100. As noted above, the primaryfunction of the rigid tunnel 110 may be to cover a portion of a batteryassembly or other battery element 104 that extends above a floorstructure 106 of the electric vehicle 100 such that the passengercompartment 108 is sealed from the battery assembly 104. The rigidtunnel 110 may also provide a pathway for air from one or more airsupply systems 172 to be delivered to a rear of the passengercompartment 108. For example, the air supply system 172 may include anair conditioner and/or heater system. The air may be delivered to one ormore air vents 174, which may then direct the air to one or more areasin the rear of the passenger compartment 108.

As shown, the rigid tunnel 110 defines a forward opening 168 and a rearopening 180 connected by a conduit 182 extending along at least aportion of a length of the rigid tunnel 110. The conduit 182 may bedisposed within an interior of the rigid tunnel 110. In someembodiments, the conduit 182 may be formed as a part of the rigid tunnel110, while in other embodiments, the conduit 182 may be a separatelyformed component that may be coupled within the interior of the rigidtunnel 110. As just one example, both the rigid tunnel 110 and theconduit 182 may be formed of carbon fiber or another composite material.In other embodiments, one or both of the components may be formed ofdifferent materials. For example, the conduit 182 may be formed fromaluminum, such as pressed aluminum. In some embodiments, the conduit 182may extend along an upper surface of the rigid tunnel 110. For example,the conduit 182 may direct air from the air supply system 172 downwardfrom a front of the rigid tunnel 110 to a lower rear of the rigid tunnel110 to match a downward slope of the rigid tunnel 110. The conduit 182may be positioned above a connector 156 of the battery element 104.

Because the battery element 104 is positioned under both the conduit 182and the rigid tunnel 110, to ensure maximum safety of the passengercompartment 108, it may be desirable to include an acid resistant and/orflame resistant material to one or both of the components to increaseprotection of the passenger compartment 108 in the event of batterydamage, which may result in exposure to battery acid or flames. Forexample, the rigid tunnel 110 and/or conduit 182 may be formed frommaterials with strong resistance to flame and/or acid. In otherembodiments, one or more surfaces of the rigid tunnel 110 and/or conduit182 may be coated with an acid resistant and/or flame resistantmaterial. In particular, a lower surface of the rigid tunnel 110 and/orthe conduit 182 may be coated to protect against direct exposure to adamaged battery. In other embodiments, a separate acid and/or fireresistant material may be coupled with an underside of the rigid tunnel110 and/or conduit 182. Additionally, due to the rigid tunnel 110 beingconfigured to cover a hole in the floor structure 106 that enables theconnector 156 to extend upward above the floor structure 106, one orboth of the rigid tunnel 110 and the conduit 182 may include thermalinsulation and/or acoustic insulation, as such insulation may not beincluded on the battery element 104. This allows road noise, as well asthermal effects from the environment and/or the battery element 104 tobe reduced within the passenger compartment 108.

The air supply system 172 may include a port 196 that interfaces withthe forward opening 168 to deliver air to the conduit 182. The air maypass through the conduit 182 and through the rear opening 180 and intothe air vents 174 for delivery to a rear seating area of the passengercompartment 108. The air vents 174 may be positioned such that the airfrom the air supply 172 may be delivered to specific locations withinthe rear of the passenger compartment 108. For example, the air vents174 may be configured to deliver the air to a height near the floorstructure 106, such as by positioning at least some of the air ventsunder a front seat of the electric vehicle 100 such that the air isdirected to a low position. In some embodiments, the air vents 174 maybe configured to deliver the air approximately near a rear seat height.For example, at least some of the air vents 174 may be positioned withinthe center console 186 and/or within a front seat back such that the airis delivered to a seat and/or torso height of the rear of the passengercompartment 108.

In some embodiments, such as those where multiple air vents 174 areprovided in different locations of the rear of the passenger compartment108, a manifold 200 may be coupled between the rear opening 180 and theair vents 174 and configured to direct the air from the conduit 182 intothe air vents 174. In some embodiments, the manifold 200 may include afirst set of air flow pipes 202 configured to direct air from theconduit 182 downward and/or outward to lower air vents 174. For example,for air vents 174 positioned under a front seat of the electric vehicle100, the air flow pipes 202 may direct the air laterally outward fromthe conduit 182 and downward to a position proximate the floor structure106. For air vents 174 positioned in a lower portion of the centerconsole 186, the air flow pipes 202 may direct the air rearward. Airflow pipes 202 may be configured to direct air from the conduit upwardand/or outward to upper air vents 174. For example, for air vents 174positioned within front seat backs, the air flow pipes 202 may directair both laterally outward to the front seats and upward to a heightproximate the rear seat surfaces. For air vents 174 within an upperportion of the center console 186, the air flow pipes 202 may direct theair upward from the rear opening 180 of the conduit 182 to a desiredheight.

FIG. 9 depicts an alternative embodiment of a rigid tunnel 910. Here,rigid tunnel 910 extends only to a forward most central cross beam 932.The forward most central cross beam 932 has a side profile defined by afront side 934, a rear side 936, a top side 938, and a bottom side 940.In some embodiments, the front side 934 and the rear side 936 may not beparallel. For example, the front side 934 may be angled forward anddownward from the top side 938. A rear end of the rigid tunnel 910 maybe coupled with the top side 938 and/or the front side 934 of theforward most central cross beam 932. The rigid tunnel 910 may include aflange 912 that couples with the top side 938 and/or the front side 934of the forward most central cross beam 932. In some embodiments, theforward most central cross beam 932 may define an interior that includesa plurality of ribs 942. The ribs 942 extend vertically between the topside 938 and the bottom side 940. Here, two ribs are disposed within theinterior such that two rectangular chambers and a trapezoidal chamberare formed. Additional horizontal ribs 944 may be provided within thechambers. For example, each of the chambers may include at least one rib944 that divides the chamber into multiple sections. Ribs 944 provideadditional strength and rigidity to the vertical ribs 942. The use ofribs 942 and 944 help stiffen and strengthen the forward most centralcross beam 932 without adding a substantial amount of material orweight, thereby allowing the forward most central cross beam 932 tohandle larger impact forces in the event of a collision.

The rearmost central cross beam 946 may have a profile defined by afront side 948, a first top side 950, an intermediate wall 952, a secondtop side 954, a rear side 956, and a bottom side 958. The profile may beshaped such that a forward portion of the rearmost central cross beam946 is larger than a rear portion of the rearmost central cross beam946. In some embodiments, one or both of the first top side 950 and thesecond top side 954 may be sloped downward from front to back. Thesloped surface may be configured to receive one or more brackets onwhich seats and/or seat rails may be mounted. In some embodiments, thesides of the rearmost central cross beam 946 define an open interior. Aplurality of ribs 960 may extend within the open interior. The ribs 960extend vertically between the second top side 954 and the bottom side958. Here, two ribs are disposed within the interior, with a forward ribbeing in line with the intermediate wall 952. An additional horizontalrib 962 may be provided within the interior. For example, a horizontalrib 962 may extend into a forward portion of the rearmost central crossbeam 946 in line with the second top side 954. The use of ribs 960 and962 help stiffen and strengthen the rearmost central cross beam 946without adding a substantial amount of material or weight, therebyallowing the rearmost central cross beam 946 to handle larger impactforces in the event of a collision.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart depicting a process 1000 for delivering air to arear passenger seating area of an electric vehicle. Process 1000 may beperformed using the electric vehicle 100 and corresponding componentsdescribed herein. Process 1000 may begin at block 1002 by generating airflow from an air supply system of the electric vehicle. For example, airmay be heated by a heating system and/or cooled by an air conditionersystem and an air flow generated by activating a blower fan to push theair out of the air supply system. The air flow may be directed from theair supply system into a conduit at block 1004. For example, the conduitmay be disposed within an interior of a rigid tunnel, such as rigidtunnel 110, via an upper opening defined in a top surface of the rigidtunnel. The air flow may be directed into the conduit using one or moreair flow ports of the air supply system. The ports may direct the flowinto the conduit formed in the rigid tunnel positioned within apassenger compartment of the electric vehicle. Oftentimes, the rigidtunnel and/or conduit may be positioned under at least a portion of acenter console, which may provide a location for cup holders, storagetrays, charging ports, and/or other features of the electric vehicle. Asdescribed above, the rigid tunnel may be configured to cover a portionof a battery assembly that extends above a floor structure of theelectric vehicle such that the passenger compartment is sealed from thebattery assembly.

Process 1000 may also include delivering the air flow to a rearpassenger seating area of the electric vehicle at block 1006. This maybe achieved by directing the air flow from the conduit to at least oneair vent via a lower opening defined in the top surface of the rigidtunnel. In some embodiments, delivering the air flow to the rearpassenger seating area may include directing the air flow from theconduit to a manifold that is interfaced with the one or more air vents.For example, the manifold may include a number of air flow pipes thatdirect air flow from a single rear opening of the conduit to a number ofair vents. As just one example, the manifold may direct the air flowfrom the conduit to an upper vent configured to deliver the air flow tothe rear seating area at a height near a rear passenger seating surfaceand a lower vent configured to deliver the air flow to the rearpassenger seating area at a position proximate a floor of the rearpassenger seating area.

It should be noted that the systems and devices discussed above areintended merely to be examples. It must be stressed that variousembodiments may omit, substitute, or add various procedures orcomponents as appropriate. Also, features described with respect tocertain embodiments may be combined in various other embodiments.Different aspects and elements of the embodiments may be combined in asimilar manner. Also, it should be emphasized that technology evolvesand, thus, many of the elements are examples and should not beinterpreted to limit the scope of the invention.

Specific details are given in the description to provide a thoroughunderstanding of the embodiments. However, it will be understood by oneof ordinary skill in the art that the embodiments may be practicedwithout these specific details. For example, well-known structures andtechniques have been shown without unnecessary detail in order to avoidobscuring the embodiments. This description provides example embodimentsonly, and is not intended to limit the scope, applicability, orconfiguration of the invention. Rather, the preceding description of theembodiments will provide those skilled in the art with an enablingdescription for implementing embodiments of the invention. Variouschanges may be made in the function and arrangement of elements withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having described several embodiments, it will be recognized by those ofskill in the art that various modifications, alternative constructions,and equivalents may be used without departing from the spirit of theinvention. For example, the above elements may merely be a component ofa larger system, wherein other rules may take precedence over orotherwise modify the application of the invention. Also, a number ofsteps may be undertaken before, during, or after the above elements areconsidered. Accordingly, the above description should not be taken aslimiting the scope of the invention.

Also, the words “comprise”, “comprising”, “contains”, “containing”,“include”, “including”, and “includes”, when used in this specificationand in the following claims, are intended to specify the presence ofstated features, integers, components, or steps, but they do notpreclude the presence or addition of one or more other features,integers, components, steps, acts, or groups.

What is claimed is:
 1. A rear passenger seat air ventilation system foran electric vehicle, comprising: a rigid tunnel positioned within apassenger compartment of the electric vehicle, the rigid tunnel beingconfigured to cover a portion of a battery assembly that extends above afloor structure of the electric vehicle such that the passengercompartment is sealed from the battery assembly, wherein: the rigidtunnel slopes downward from a forward portion to a rear portion of therigid tunnel; a top surface of the rigid tunnel defines a forwardopening and a rear opening connected by a conduit extending along atleast a portion of a length of the rigid tunnel; and the conduit isdisposed within an interior of the rigid tunnel; a center consolepositioned above at least a portion of the rigid tunnel; an air supplysystem positioned within the center console and configured to interfacewith the forward opening and to deliver air to the conduit; and at leastone air vent configured to receive air from the conduit and deliver theair to a rear seating area of the passenger compartment.
 2. The rearpassenger seat air ventilation system for an electric vehicle of claim1, further comprising: a manifold coupled between the rear opening andthe at least one air vent, the manifold being configured to direct theair from the conduit into the at least one air vent.
 3. The rearpassenger seat air ventilation system for an electric vehicle of claim2, wherein: the at least one air vent comprises an upper vent configuredto deliver the air to the rear seating area at a height near a rearseating surface and a lower vent configured to deliver the air to therear seating area at a position proximate a floor of the rear seatingarea.
 4. The rear passenger seat air ventilation system for an electricvehicle of claim 1, wherein: the air supply system comprises one or bothof an air conditioner and a heater.
 5. The rear passenger seat airventilation system for an electric vehicle of claim 1, wherein: theconduit and the rigid tunnel comprise carbon fiber.
 6. The rearpassenger seat air ventilation system for an electric vehicle of claim1, wherein: the conduit comprises pressed aluminum.
 7. The rearpassenger seat air ventilation system for an electric vehicle of claim1, wherein: one or both of the rigid tunnel or the conduit comprisesthermal insulation.